Cycling Courtesy: Increasing On-Road Life Expectancy

Haven't posted in a while. Today's epistle is driven directly from my foray into primary commuter drivership for a few days this week, traveling from mid-town Toronto into the downtown core and back again.

As a driver, I share the road with cyclists. In fact, traveling east along Bloor from Christie to about Spadina, the right hand lane is de facto for cyclists and parked cars (or just cyclists during rush hours). Example: Saw a car trying to make a right-hand turn just yesterday at Bloor and Bathurst who couldn't even get into the lane for a few minutes because the bikes wouldn't stop to let him or her through.

I don't want to squish a cyclist. But cyclists, you've got to come towards me - and other drivers - a bit here.

Top 15 Ways (IMO) Cyclists Can Increase Their On-Road Life Expectancy:

1. DON'T pass on the dividing line between the left and right lane of traffic.
2. DO Wear your helmet
3. DON'T assume that your ringing bell means anything to me
4. DON'T jump the green light
5. DO stop at a red light
6. YES stop signs are there for a reason
7. DON'T cut off a car in traffic
8. DON'T drive in the direction of oncoming traffic - in the same lane
9. DON'T assume that I know what your arm signals mean
10. DO check over your shoulder and into any "blind" spots before passing another cyclist on the right
11. DO remember that cars have blind spots - and you might be in mine
12. DON'T take up the entire right hand lane, especially if you already have a bike lane you should be in
13. DO make sure to have some kind of reflective gear for night-time two-wheeled traverses.
14. DON'T cycle while talking on your cell phone. Seriously.
15. DON'T cycle in the middle of the road on a two-way street, even if it IS a side street. I'm right behind you and I WILL honk -- which might startle you right off your bike.
16. DO watch your gaggle of cycling kids. Single line people. See previous note about riding in the middle of the road.
17. DON'T stop your bike partway into an intersection at a red light. Or in the middle of the right-hand lane several feet from the curb. There are other drivers on the road -- and some of us would like to make that turn on the red.
18. DO check to make sure that seemingly parked car you just stepped behind isn't backing up (you'd be surprised ...)
19. DON'T assume that vehicular drivers can and/or will anticipate what you're about to do.
    

And finally ...


20. DO try to keep your patience with drivers who open up their driver-side doors without seeing you. Drivers can be idiots too.